


Not Sure I'm There Yet But I'm Searching Out The Ride

by killingmonsterswritingthings



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Anxiety, Established Relationship, F/F, Fear of Heights, IPRE Days, mountain climbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 16:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10812855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killingmonsterswritingthings/pseuds/killingmonsterswritingthings
Summary: Lup, Lucretia and Magnus have to scale a cliff on their search for the light of creation. Lucretia is less than thrilled.





	Not Sure I'm There Yet But I'm Searching Out The Ride

**Author's Note:**

> help i've fallen down the lupcretia hole and i'm really happy down here
> 
> spoiler warning for the newest eps obviously

 

This time they tracked the light of creation all the way to a mountain range.

“It‘s too big to go around,” Magnus said.

Lup had her head thrown all the way back and was looking up at the massive towering peaks in front of them that the rolling hills had given way to and Lucretia barely wanted to look at. “Guess we’ll have to just find a way over – or through – then,” Lup said.

Lucretia shivered and instinctively took a step back, even though the ground beneath her feet was solid. Merle and Taako were back on the ship while Davenport and Barry were doing reconnaissance with the people in the village, and Lucretia was regretting her decision to go on this tour.

When Lup turned to Lucretia, she caught her terrified look.

“I see the necessity,” Lucretia said carefully, “but I’d much rather… not.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Lup teased.

“We don’t even have the necessary gear and supplies,” Lucretia argued.

“Uh, yes we do,” Magnus said and produced several lengths of rope from his pack.

Lucretia cursed his preparedness and readiness for adventure.

“See,” Lup said. “Come on, if we keep going we can maybe find a pass before nightfall.”

Lucretia really doubted it.

 

Several hours of walking later they had not found a way through the mountains, but rather a wall in front of them.

“Guess we’ll have to climb,” Magnus shrugged.

“Ugh,” Lup sighed, “so much effort.”

“You’ll have the least problems, Miss Dexterity,” Lucretia said, her anxiety making her snappy. Her hands were already sweating just looking up at the cliff. She only realized her mistake when Lup turned around to grin at her and wiggle her eyebrows. “You know what I meant,” Lucretia mumbled.

“I’ll show you my dexterity later,” Lup said and winked.

The worst part was that it was horribly endearing to Lucretia.

“One of us should go up first and secure a rope,” she said to distract herself – she wasn’t sure if from the anxiety in her stomach or the fluttering in her heart.

“I’ll do it,” Magnus said immediately.

Lucretia watched anxiously as he ascended the cliff slowly. He lost his footing once, dangling almost twenty meters above the ground and Lucretia’s heart stopped for a moment. He found another foothold after a second, but Lucretia wanted nothing more than to tell him to come back down.

Finally, he made it to the top, and disappeared in search for a good spot to tie the rope to. He reappeared after a minute, throwing the end of the rope down towards them.

“All safe up here!”

The rope dangled a few feet away from Lucretia’s face and she turned to meet Lup’s eyes. She looked wild, giddy with glee and the expectation of another adventure.

“You go first,” Lucretia said with a strained smile.

Lup shrugged, still with that excited smile. “If you’re sure.”

Lucretia nodded. She was very, _very_ sure. The longer she remained on firm ground, the better. “You go ahead,” she said.

She would much rather have found another way, but they were pressed for time, and letting Magnus and Lup go on on their own displeased her, too. So there was really no other way.

Lup tied the rope around her waist with expert hands and started climbing. Lucretia watched in awe as she quickly scaled the cliff – not even a hint of fear, no shakiness. Her hands moved from one tiny protrusion in the rock to the next without pause. It was like she had been born for adventure.

Lucretia could feel the cold sweat breaking out on her back. Her own hands were made for writing, not for climbing. She just wanted to go back to her books. She shouldn’t have come on this search, she should have left it to Barry.

 

Lup arrived at the top and, once she was standing, threw her hands in the air. “HELL YES!”

Lucretia was dizzy from looking up at her.

She couldn’t do this. She closed her eyes and took a step back.

“Come on!” Lup called and Lucretia heard the sound of another rope being thrown down the cliff. She opened her eyes again to see a second rope in front of her. “Don’t think I didn’t see your shaky hands. You can do it!”

Lucretia shook her head. “I don’t know how.”

“Tie that one around your waist,” Lup said pragmatically.

Lucretia looked from Lup’s barely visible face down at her hands, then at the rope again. She took a step closer.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” Lup said.

“You telling me that does not make it better,” Lucretia said, tying the first rope around her waist with shaking hands. “And there are plenty reasons to be afraid.”

“You can’t fall,” Lup said. “There are two ropes, and we’re holding you. Also… magic, remember?” She wriggled her fingers, the motion barely visible over the distance.

“The rope could snap,” Lucretia argued, “and you would not be able to cast a spell that fast.”

“Try me.” Lup looked way too confident. “I’ve got spell slots for days, baby.”

“Your reflexes are what worries me,” Lucretia mumbled.

“I can pull you up,” Magnus supplied helpfully.

“What did I say about the rope snapping?” Lucretia asked.

Lup sighed so loudly that Lucretia could hear it. “Should I come down again?” It sounded more sincere than Lucretia wanted to give her credit for.

Something close to annoyance flared up in her. “No,” she said, “no, I can do it.”

Lup grinned. “That’s it. Spite is the best motivator.”

Lucretia rolled her eyes and searched for the first hand-hold with her fingers. She found one, then a second with her other hand. She planted her left foot first.

“You can do it,” Lup told her.

Lucretia couldn’t answer. She was afraid she would throw up.

She felt the rope around her waist growing taut as Magnus adjusted it to make her feel safe. It wasn’t working.

 

 

Lucretia was breathing too fast.

She was several meters above the ground now and every time she looked down she got dizzier.

“Don’t look down,” Lup yelled down at her. “Look at me, Lucretia. You can do this!”

She was still leaning over the edge. It scared Lucretia even more, the prospect of Lup falling, so she looked at her hands instead. It was surreal, how much she didn’t belong in this place.

 

Her hands were cramping.

She lost her grip and scrambled for purchase but found nothing. A scream escaped her, and then she fell.

The rope around her waist caught her after not even a meter, and her feet found a space on the rock again, but she kept her eyes closed. Her heart was hammering in her chest.

“Hey, are you okay?” Lup yelled down.

Lucretia pressed her lips together and shook her head, but opened her eyes again. Lup looked legitimately worried, but Lucretia got distracted by how much closer her face was now. She could almost see the freckles on her dark skin, and the hairs that had escaped from her braid and were framing her face.

Lup smiled. “There you are. Come on. You’re almost there.”

Nothing had happened, Magnus had held her just as he had promised, but the fingers on her left hand were just a little scraped. It stung.

It took a moment for her to calm down enough to start climbing again.

Now she kept stopping and looking up, at Lup’s inviting face, before focusing on her hands again and finding the next spot to put her hand. It was slow, agonizingly so, but it dampened her panic.

Finally, _finally_ , her hand hit the edge of the cliff and Lup was there immediately, grabbing her arm. She pulled her up and over the edge, and Lucretia found herself in Lup’s arms seconds later.

“You did it!” Lup screamed directly in her ear. Lucretia clung to her, shaking all over.

“I’m never doing this again,” she said.

“You won’t have to,” Lup said while petting her hair and while Lucretia knew that it was an empty promise, she still felt comforted.

Lup pulled back a little and put her hand on Lucretia’s cheek, running her thumb over her skin. “Look at you. I’m so proud of you.”

Lucretia had to smile a little. “Thanks.” She wasn’t too impressed with herself, not after the way she had behaved, but Lup made her feel okay. Like it wasn’t a big deal.

Lup’s hand slid to the back of her neck and Lucretia instinctively moved closer, letting Lup pull her in.

Lup kissed her nose first, still grinning. “You did so well.” Then she kissed her properly, her lips soft against Lucretia’s. She hoped she hadn’t chewed them raw on her way up the cliff. She chased the feeling of Lup’s kisses – this was the kind of adventure she liked.

Magnus cleared his throat. “Let’s go, we have to find a spot to camp before we lose the rest of the light.”

Lucretia pulled back, a little flustered, but Lup was already laughing again.

“Okay, spoilsport!” She stuck out her tongue at Magnus and pulled Lucretia up with her.

And their search for the light continued.

 

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from [Young And Menace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtVFTuIZFYU) by FOB because a) that's such a taz song???? b) gotta spite griffin  
> (although honestly i misheard the lyrics the first few times. classic fob.)
> 
> let me know what you thought and come find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/luffylaws) or [tumblr](https://leiathelight.tumblr.com)


End file.
